Clothes dryer with fabric deflecting bulkhead



Aug. 27, 1968 L. MILLER ET AL.

CLOTHES DRYER WITH FABRIC DEFLECTING BULKHEAD Filed May 9, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR$ [aw/5 Z. M4461? JQSEPA/ P lax ZM x72 ATTORNEYS BY 7228M;

Aug. 27, 1968 L. MILLER ET AL CLOTHES DRYER WITH FABRIC DEFLECTING BULKHEAD 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 9, 1966 LVVENTORS [6/405 1. Mae? Jase-A4 P 10 I ATTORNEYS a l g- 1968 1.. L. MILLER ET AL 3,398,465

CLOTHES DRYER WITH FABRIC DEFLECTING BULKHEAD Filed May 9, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet :5

I N VEN TORS LEW/5 L. MILLER Josie/ H P Lax w Q 5/ ,2 ATTORNEYS BY V Aug. 27, 1968 L. L. MILLER ET AL. 3,398,465

CLOTHES DRYER WITH FABRIC DEFLECTING BULKHEAD Filed May 9, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN VENTOR BY @W ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,398,465 g CLOTHES DRYERWITH FABRIC DEFLECTING BULKHEAD Lewis L. Miller, Benton Harbor, and Joseph P. Lux, St. Joseph, Mich., assignors to Whirlpool Corporation, Benton Harbor, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed May 9, 1966; Ser. No. 548,749 6 Claims; (Cl. 34-133) 9 The invention relates generally to dryers and more particularly to a laundry dryer of thehome appliance type which includes a rotatable dryer drum for receiving marterial such as fabric or the like to be dried, a stationary end wall or bulkhead which confronts an open end of the drum and air moving means for moving air through the drum andcomprising an air inlet opening formed in the bulkhead and a fabric deflecting lobe formed on the bulkhead to deflect, in a direction toward the interior of the drum and away from the air inlet opening, the fabric tumbling in the drum.

In accordance with this invention, a clothes dryer is provided characterized by a stationary bulkhead located at one end of a rotating drum and deflecting means are utilized to effectively deflect the tumbling fabrics away from one or more air openings or passages formed in the stationary bulkhead. Another feature of this invention resides in the provision of a perforated grille covering an air inlet opening in the bulkhead. Two series of small air openings are formed in the grille, the first series being formed as a plurality of punched holes to reduce air friction and to provide maximum air flow into the drum.' As a result, the temperature of the grille is highest in the area of the first series of openings. The second series of openings are formed as a plurality of holes having edges recessed away from the drum. The tumbling fabric'is effectively prevented from engaging the sharp edges of the first series of openings by the fabric deflecting means. The recessed edges of the second series of openings render this precautionary measure unnecessary. g

By this arrangement the tumbling fabric is deflected away from the maximum air flow portion of the air inlet grille to allow the warm air to enter the drum before it comes into contact with the fabric and toincrease the rate of air flow through the drum. In addition, the fabric deflecting means opens up the fabric before it tumbles in front of the air inlet grille, thereby increasing the efliciency of the drying operation.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a clothes dryer having a stationary bulkhead confronting an open end of a rotatable drum and one or more openings formed in the bulkhead with means for deflecting tumbling fabrics toward the interior of the drum and away from each opening.

Another object of the invention is to provide a perforate grille across the air inlet opening having a higher-tem- "perature, maximum-air-flow portion situated such that the 'ice viding an opening-up effect on the fabric to increase the efiiciency of the drying operation.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide an air exhaust opening in the bulkhead in association with another fabric deflecting lobe to prevent a build up of fabric across the exhaust opening and a reduction or complete stoppage of air flow through the drum. 7

Still another object is to locate the fabric deflecting lobe with respect to its corresponding air opening so that the improved operating conditions derivable therefrom are maximized.

Many other features, advantages and additional objects of [the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description which follows and the accompanying sheets of drawings, in which preferred structural embodiments incorporating the principles of the present invention are shown by way of illustrative example only.

On the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of an exemplary embodiment of a clothes dryer incorporating the principles of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the clothes dryer of FIGURE 1 with a portion of a side panel cut away to show the relative disposition of parts;

FIGURE 3 is a rear elevational view of the dryer of FIGURE 1 with portions of the rear panel removed;

FIGURE 4 is a front elevational view of one embodiment of the stationary end wall or bulkhead of the clothes dryer showing the side thereof which confronts the rotatable drum;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view of a portion of the bulkhead taken along lines V-V of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a portion of the perforated grille on the bulkhead.

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view of a portion of the bulkhead taken along lines VII-VII of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view of a portion of the bulkhead taken along lines VIII-VIII of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 9 is similar to FIGURE 4 but shows another embodiment of the bulkhead.

As shown in the drawings:

Although the principles of the present invention are of utility in any tumbling dryer construction, a particularly useful application is made to a clothes dryer of the home appliance type having a horizontally disposed, rotatable clothes receptacle or drying drum.

Referring to FIGURES 1-3, an exemplary clothes dryer incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown generally at reference numeral 10 and comprises a'cabinet 11 having a pair of vertical side panels 12 and 13, vertical front and rear panels 14 and 16 and horizontal top and bottom panels 17 and 18.

In order to load and unload the dryer an access or closure door 19 is swingably mounted by means of hinges 20, 20 in a complementarily shaped recessed portion 21 of the front panel 14 and a handle 22 is mounted on the door 19 to facilitate the o ening and closing thereof.-

A centrally located access opening 23 is also formed in the front panel 14. Housed within the cabinet 11 to receive articles of clothing or other fabric to be dried is a horizontally disposed receptacle or drying drum indicated generally at reference numeral 24 extending lengthwise between the front and rear panels 14 and 16 substantially concentrically with respect to the access opening 23. The drum 24 comprises a peripheral cylindrical side wall 26 which extends from one end 24a to an opposite end 24b and which is, in the exemplary embodiment made of imperforate sheet-form material, although .per fora te mates,

rial can also be advantageously utilized.

The drum 24 is journalled for rotation about its horizontal axis to provide a tumbling action to the fabric during a drying operation not only to completely dry the fabric but also to reduce the time required for the drying operation.

In the illustrated embodiment the direction of rotation of the drum 24 is counterclockwise as indicated by the arrow 25 in FIGURE 1 and in order to support the drum for rotation while precluding axial movement a groove and roller support arrangement is provided which comprises a pair of circumferentially continuous track means or V-shaped grooves 27 and 28 formed in the peripheral side wall 26. The grooves 27 and 28 are disposed adjacent the ends 24a and 24b of'the drum 24 in order torninimiae vibration due to possible unbalanced conditions of the load within the drum. i

A plurality of complementarily shaped rotatable rollers are journalled on fixed supports in the cabinet 11 to ride in the grooves 27 and 28. 'For example, a roller 30 "is mounted on a shaft 31 for rotation about an axis which extends parallel to the axis of the drum 24. The roller 30 is situated on the ascending side of the drum in order to best balance the loading forces.

The shaft 31 is mounted on a stationary bulkhead 32 which comprises a generally flat vertically upstanding sheet-form member confronting the open rear end 24b of the drum 24 in front of the rear panel 16 and extending substantially transversely to the axis of the drum 24.

Another roller 33 is journalled in the cabinet 11 to, engage the groove 28 in the lower descending quadrant of the drum 24 and is journalled on a shaft similar to shaft 31 which also may be mounted on the stationary bulkhead 32.

Additional rollers which are similar to rollers 30 and 33 are mounted within the cabinet 11 at the front end 24a of the drum 24 to support the drum in the groove 27.

In order to rotate the drum 24 a continuous driving belt 34 is wrapped around the peripheral wall 26 and also around a sheave or pulley 36 which is driven by suitable means such as an electric motor 37.

The rear end 24b of the rotatable drum 24 is open, and abuts the confronting face of the stationary bulkhead 32. Suitable sealing means provide a seal between the abutting surfaces of the drum 24 and the bulkhead 32 and may be formed of any suitable material such as the flexible plastic which is available commercially under the trade name Naugahyde. r

" A- warm air system is provided within the cabinet 11 to dry the fabric tumbling in the drum 24 and comprises an air tempering duct 38 extending substantially vertically between the bulkhead 32 and the rear panel 16 and having an air supply opening 39 at the lower end thereof in open communication with air outside the cabinet. The upper end of the duct 38 communicates with an air inlet opening 40 formed in the bulkhead 33.

A vertically upstanding air discharge duct 41 is also housed between the bulkhead 32 and the rear panel 16 and extends substantially the entire height of the cabinet 11. -Anair outlet or exhaust opening 42 is formed in the bulkhead 32 to communicate with the duct 41 substantially intermediate the upper and lower ends thereof and at approximately the same elevation as the air inlet opening 40 which communicates with the air tempering duct-38.

The duct 41 also comprises a lower portion 43 which is connected at 44 to the inlet of an air blower 46 which circulates air through the warm air system. The blower 46 may be of any suitable construction such as the centrifugal impeller type shown in the drawings.

A short branch conduit 47 is connected at one end thereof to the outlet of the blower 46 and at an opposite end thereof to an opening 48 which opens through the rear panel 16 of the cabinet 11.

In order to heat the air being circulated, suitable heating means such as an electric heater 49 is mounted in idler the .aint mne na duct 38,. I l thus beapprec dra shown by the arrows in FIGURE 3, that the flow of air through the warm air system is from outside the cabinet through the inlet opening 39 of the air tempering duct 38, through conduit 38 and across the heater 49 and then out of theairinlebopening 40 form'ed::in the bulkhead 32 into the' driini 24. "The* air leaves 'the' drum through the air exhaust opening '42 formediri 'the bulkhead 32, then through di1ct*41 to the nerve-r46, and from the blower out of the cabinet 11 through the'ope'iiiig' 48. Y

Referring to FIGURBLiLwillhe noted that the air inlet opening 40 and the air exhaust opening 42 are both formed in'thaf portioir of the bulkhead 33 which is withinthe confines'of the-side ,wall 26 of, the drum 24,-and therefore in vdirect cQmmunicatiQnj-Withthe interior of the drum .24. :As. best .seen in; FIGURE 4, theair, inlet openingv40 and air exhaust opening 42;are positioned on the bulkhead adjacent the periphery of the drum- 24..,In addition, these openings 40 and 42 are situated on opposite sides of a vertical plane extending through the rotational axis of thedrurr'i24.ff' p If l H upper portion 50 ofdu'c't ll is shaped inthe'form o a 4 s,. s,, the pp r s fb which rises to t ep panel 17 of the cabinet ll. This opening may be normally closed by means of a swingabledoor 51 pivotally mounted in a recess 51a formed in thejtop' panel17. A vertically elongated lint screen 'or filter member 52 made of flexible material is inserted t'l 1ro'ugh the door 51 downwardly into the duct 41 to' extend across the air exhaust opening 42 behind the bulkhead32 to prevent lint and oth'er such matter fro'rnjpassing from the drum 24 to the blower 46. 4 I Referring to FIGURES and 8*, the bulkhead 32 has an annular head or embossmenf 53formed thereon which includes a rounded ridge portion53a and an offset portion 54 extending circumferentially continuously therearound to receive the sealing means (not shown) attached to'the rear end 245 of the druni24. i

The direction of rotation of the drum '24 relative to the bulkhead 32' is shown by the'a'rr'ow 25 and thus the air inlet opening 40 formed'in-th'e bulkhead 32 is oh 't he descending side of the drum 24, whereas'theair exhaust opening 42 is on the ascending side'of the drum. The fabric within thedrum 24 is therefore subjected to the most direct effect of the'warm air enteringthe drumathi'ough the air 'inlet' opening 40 as the fabric f allsgravitationally downwardly from theinner periphery of the drum in roating from the ascending to the descending side of the urn.

The air inlet opening 40 is elongated in a substantially vertical direction and is defined by a pair ojfspaced parallel sidewalls 57 and 58' and a pair of semi-circularly shaped end walls 59 and 60. The air exhaust opening 42 is also somewhat elongated in a vertical direction and kidney-shaped, having a smaller top' portion 61 and a larger bottom portion 62. i

Also shown in the'embodim'ent of FIGURE4 is a dryness sensor indicated at 63 which sensesth'e' dryness'of the fabric and'.which can be arranged to'automatically-stop the drying operation after the fabrics have attained a predetermined degree of dryness. I

The inlet and exhaust air openings 40 and 42 may be covered by perforate grilles 64 and 66 respectively in order to pr'event the tumbling fabric from passing throughthe openings into the ducts 3:8 and 41 In the embodiment of FIGURE 4 the. grilles v64and 66 are 'formed integrally with the bulkhead 32 but removablezgrilles may also be utilized if desirable.

The grille 64 has formed therein two series or groups of small air openings, the first'series of which is formed in an upper portion 64a of the grille 64, and= the second series of which is formed in a lower portion 64b of the grille.

- Referring to FIGURES 5 and "7, the top series of openings, one of 'whichis indicated atreference numeral 67, are formed as punched holes each having a straight cylindrical'w'all 68, the configuration of which best suited to reduce the friction of the air passing through the grille and thus to provide maximum air flow. As a result the rate of air flow through the grille 64 is greatest at the top portion 64a of the grille which is also the warmest part of the rille. i

c The second or lower series of small air openings, one of which is" indicated at reference numeral 69, are each formed with its edge 70 recessed away from a front or inner face 71 of the bulkhead 32, and thus away from the drum 24 and the fabric contained therein. Although the configuration of the lower series of openings increases air friction and thus reduces air flow, engagement of the tumbling fabric with sharp surfaces is prevented since the edges 70 of holes are recessed away from the interior of the drum. t 1

.f In order to prevent fabric from engaging the edges of the air openings 67 and the warmer upper portion 64a of the grille 64, and also toassist in opening up" the fabric as it falls gravitationally radially or downwardly in approaching the descending side of the drum 24, means for deflecting such fabric toward the interior of the drum and away from the bulkhead 32 are provided on the oncoming side of the upper portion 64a of the grille 64. By oncoming is meant that side of the grille 64 from which the fabric approaches the grille as it is rotated in the direction shown by the arrow 25.

As best seen in FIGURES 4, 5 and 7, the fabric deflecting lobe is indicated generally at reference numeral 72 and comprises an arcuately shaped surface or embossment 73 that slopes inwardly from a generally flat inner face 74 of the bulkhead 32 along a line 76.

As the tumbling fabric approaches surface 73 its direction of movement is mainly rotational as indicated by the arrow 25, and as it engages surface 73 and begins to fall vertically downwardly surface 73 deflects the fabric inwardly toward the interior of the drum 24 and away from the inner face 74 of the bulkhead 32. Such deflecting motion has the effect of keeping the fabric away from the grille 64, or at least the upper portion 64a thereof which is warmest and which includes the punched holes 67 having the straight cylindrical walls 68.

This deflection of the fabric also has the salutary effect of permitting the Warm air to move into the drum 24 before the air actually contacts the fabric, and in addition tends to open up the fabric to increase the efficiency of the drying operation.

The fabric deflecting lobe 72 also comprises a second surface 77 which, as shown in FIGURES 4 and 5, extends from an inner edge 78 of the surface 73 and which slopes outwardly away from the interior of the drum 24 and back toward the inner face 74 of the bulkhead 32 to form a partial shroud around the oncoming side of the upper portion 64a of the grille 64.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 4 the perforated grille 66 covering the air outlet opening 42 is in substantial coplanar relation with the flat inner face 74 of the bulkhead 32 and thus is susceptible to being partially or completely covered by fabric on the ascending side of the drum 24.

In the embodiment shown in FIGURE 9 (wherein the same reference numerals appearing in FIGURE 4 are used to indicate similar parts) the dryness sensor 63 is omitted and a fabric deflecting lobe 79 is associated with the oncoming side of both the air exhaust opening 42 and the air inlet opening 40 to deflect the fabrics toward the interior of the drum. The deflecting lobe 79 shown in FIGURE 9 varies slightly from the lobe 72 shown in FIGURE 4 in that lobe 79 comprises an arcuately shaped surface or embossment 73 that slopes inwardly from a generally flat inner face 74 of the bulkhead 32 along a line 80, the intersection of line 80 with the annular bead 53 being substantially a right angle as opposed to the gradual blending in of the corresponding line 76 of lobe 72 with the annular head 53.

The fabric deflecting lobe 79, like lobe 72, has a second surface 77 which extends from an inner edge 78 of the surface 73 and which slopes outwardly away from the interior of the drum 24 and back toward the inner face 74 of the bulkhead 32 to form a partial shroud around the oncoming side of the respective grills 64 and 66.

As a result of this invention the efliciency of the drying operation is increased by causing the fabric to be contacted by the warm air only after the air has been admitted into the drum and the fabric has been opened up. The rate of air flow is increased by deflecting the fabric away from the air outlet opening and by forming the air openings in the top portion 64a of the air inlet grille 64 of straight cylindrical walls. The fabric is maintained in a damage-free condition by deflecting it away-from the top portion 64a of the air inlet grille 64 which comprises the sharper air openings and which constitutes the warmest portion of the grille. H v

Although minor modifications might be suggested by those versed in the art, it should be understood that we wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon all such modifications as reasonably come within the scope of our contribution to the art. t

The embodiments of the invention in which an'exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A clothes dryer comprising:

a stationary upstanding bulkhead,

a rotatable drum for receiving and tumbling wet fabric to be dried and having an open end confronting said bulkhead,

means forming an opening in said bulkhead within the confines of said drum,

air translation means communicating with said opening for moving air through said opening and said drum to dry said fabric,

a fabric deflector lobe positioned on said bulkhead and projecting inwardly toward the interior of said drum for deflecting said fabric toward the interior of said drum and away from said opening during the rotation of said drum,

means defining an exhaust opening formed Within the confines of said drum, and

a second fabric deflecting lobe formed on said bulkhead and projecting toward the interior of said drum to deflect said fabric away from said exhaust opening.

2. The clothes dryer as defined in claim 1 wherein said drum is adapted to rotate in one direction of rotation and wherein said fabric deflecting lobes are situated respectively substantially on the oncoming sides ofv their respective openings.

3. The clothes dryer as defined in claim 2 wherein said openings are situated on opposite sides of a vertical plane extending through the rotational axis of said drum.

4. A clothes dryer comprising:

a stationary upstanding bulkhead,

a rotatable drum for receiving and tumbling wet fabric to be dried and having an open end confronting said bulkhead,

means forming an opening in said bulkhead Within the confines of said drum,

air translation means communicating with said opening for moving air through said opening and said drum to dry said fabric,

a fabric deflecting lobe positioned on said bulkhead and projecting inwardly toward the interior of said drum for deflecting said fabric toward the interior of said drum and away from said opening during rotation of said drum, and

a perforated grille extending across said opening and having -a surface thereof confronting said drum,

said grille further having a first portion including means forming therein a series of punched holes having edges disposed at said confronting surface of said grille and a second portion including means forming therein a second series of holes,

7 A A said confronting surface being curved toward each toward the interior of saiddrumand away from said of said holes of said second series and away first portion of said grille for opening up the fabric from said drum to prevent engagement of the while permitting the warm air to move into the drum fabric with the edges of said holes of said second before contacting the fabric, and series, 5 a second surface which extends from said first surface said first portion of said grille being disposed and which slopesoutwardlyaway from the interior immediately adjacent said fabric deflecting lobe of said drum and-backftoward said flat inner surface and said second portion being in spaced relation of said bulkhead to form a partial shroud around to said lobe whereby said lobe is effective in said first portion ofsaid-grille. deflecting the fabric away from said first porlo t tion of said grille. ces Cited 5. The clothes dryer as defined in claim 4 wherein said UNITED STATES PATENTS drum is adapted to rotate in one direction of rotation and wherein said fabric deflecting lobe is situated on the 2927380 3/1960 olthm 'T'j'ff'" 34'. 3 oncoming Side of Said grille. 15 3,130,037 4/1965-- Kenre ch 34 -133 XR 3,320,678 5/1967 Berke 3 133 XR 6. The clothes dryer as defined in claim 5 wherein said v V v p v stationary bulkhead comprises a generally flat inner face FOREIGN PATENTS and wherein said fabric deflecting lobe is disposed at the 4 I l upper portion of said bulkhead and further comprises: 812115 2 fF TF v v i an arcuately shaped first surface sloping inwardly 20 FREDERICK MATTESON' p- E toward the interior of said drum from said flat inner V f "m surface for deflecting downwardly falling fabric RAMEY 3 r m f 

